"Chute Boxe middleweight Murilo Rua has dropped off June 22's Showtime pay-per-view card in San Jose, Calif. after failing a California State Athletic Commission physical, the promoter announced Friday.

Scheduled to fight on the undercard of Frank Shamrock's showdown against Phil Baroni, Rua was a week away from facing Joey Villasenor for the vacant EliteXC 185-pound crown. A replacement for "Ninja" will be announced "very soon," said EliteXC's Gary Shaw, who is promoting in conjunction with Strikeforce."

Personally, I don't believe there will ever be a North American MMA organization that can ever truly compete with the UFC. The IFL certainly can't, bodog can't, and K1 surly can't. As far as I'm concerned, the UFC is the elite!

Personally, I don't believe there will ever be a North American MMA organization that can ever truly compete with the UFC. The IFL certainly can't, bodog can't, and K1 surly can't. As far as I'm concerned, the UFC is the elite!